Through a Masked Maiden's Eyes

Chapter 10: Inherited Destiny

I stared at Awa, and slumped back into the tree as I slid down the trunk unable to stand at what she had just unveiled.

I swallowed and drew in a ragged breath. “What are talking about Awa?”

Awa glanced around nervously and then looked at me. Her normally shrewd yellow eyes looked pained, “I couldn’t tell you before, and I will explain everything but first let us go to our cobalt dwelling.” She picked up the supplies, her claws coming out hold them in place.

I nodded stiffly and stood up slowly. Awa was the closest thing I had to family. She had to have good reason for keeping it from me. But that didn’t ease the ache in my chest or the thud of my betrayal assaulting my heart. I had told her everything, and I thought she had done the same.

I climbed on her back and rested my head against her shell, ignoring the wind that whistled past my ears, and the rhythmic thump of her wings. I closed my eyes as questions swirled under my smooth face, like a rapid current underneath seemingly still water. How could she not tell me before? Why is she telling me now? What does it have to do with the pendent? My heart was heavy, my mind was edgy and my body was drowsy.

We landed in close to our home and walked back, with Awa carrying one package and I the other. I paused again outside the door out of habit, expanding my hearing for heartbeats. I found only the rapid beats of small forest critters and the steady slower beat of Awa’s. I entered and we put the supplies in the cellar. I didn’t look at her until it was all away. Then with unspoken agreement we went through a curtain and lit the hearth in a room covered with books, murals and paintings. I sat in a nest of blankets and stared at Awa as she paced back and forth her one ear back and the other twitching in time with the end of her tail.  I undid my cloak letting it settled around me in ripple of fabric and feathers.

“Awa.”

She just kept pacing back and forth her eyes large.

“Awa!”

She stopped both ears going back as she faced me with troubled eyes. Awa sighed heavily. “Right, I-I just, I’m not sure how to tell you.”

“Maybe you could start with why you didn’t tell me before?” I said sharply my chin jutting out in anger.

“No, you need to know the story because then it will explain itself.” She rubbed her paws over one another and then sat down, her tail still twitching agitatedly.

“Fine, then start in the beginning.” I said guardedly.

Her tail stilled and she nodded, “Ok here we go. It begins with the Last Dragon’s prophecy, just before he gave himself to make peace. He predicted that there would be great corruption and that two children would be born with alignment to two different elements and that these two would prepare the way for the four that would prevent the battle of all four nations and restore balance to Balmentia. You are one of the two guides.”

I simply stared at her. “You must be joking.”

“I am incredibly serious.” She said staring right back at me.

“Then why haven’t you told me before?”I asked my brows lowered trying to cover the pain in my eyes.

“Well I wasn’t sure until I saw you had the pendent and I confirmed who your birth mother and father were.”

“You, you know w-who they are?”

“Yes, but I’m afraid they have both passed on shortly after your adoptive parents Idoya.”

I took in a shuttering breath and nodded once, “tell me.”

“Your mother was Zoe Ina Donne, Queen to all fairies in Oceana.”